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The Presidential Fellowship
The Presidential Fellowship is the most prestigious award given by the Graduate School. Recipients of this award embody the highest standards of scholarship in the full range of Ohio State's graduate programs.
Awarded competitively, the Presidential Fellowship gives fellows one year, 3 consecutive semesters, of full-time financial support. This support is provided so fellows can complete their dissertations or terminal degree projects and to graduate unimpeded by other duties.
See the Graduate School Fellowship Calendar for important dates.
2021-22 Presidential Fellows Spring 2021 Presidential Fellows Presidential Competition GuidelinesNamed Presidential Fellowships
Several of the Presidential Fellowships are named fellowships because they are funded by Graduate School endowments or because they honor former deans of the Graduate School. These awards provide the same benefits as all other Presidential Fellowships.
The Elizabeth Clay Howald Presidential Fellowship is funded by an endowment established in 1934 with a bequest from Ferdinand Howald. Open to any field.
The SBC Presidential Fellowship, funded by an endowment established in 1987, is open to eligible students pursuing research in digital and information technologies.
Nomination
Students cannot apply directly for these fellowships. Nominations are made by graduate studies committee chairs. To be eligible, a nominated student must have a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.6 for all Ohio State graduate course work, have completed all degree course work by the time the fellowship is activated, and have passed the candidacy examination (doctoral students) by the nomination deadline.
Competitions
The Presidential Fellowship competition is held once annually during the Autumn semester. Nominations are due by 5 p.m. on the third Friday of October.
Selection and Decisions
Fellows are selected through a university-wide competition led by a faculty committee. Autumn semester competition results are released by early December.
Benefits
The Presidential Fellowship provides three consecutive semesters of support. It is nonrenewable. Support includes a monthly stipend and payment of general/instructional fees, nonresident tuition, and any learning/technology fee. Special fees such as the COTA, recreational facility, student union, and student activity fees are not included. Additional benefits include the following:
- travel allowance of up to $500 to present research at a national conference during fellowship tenure
- university subsidy of 85% of the student health insurance premium
- eligibility to purchase staff "B" parking permits
- staff library privileges
still have questions
grad-schoolfellowships@osu.edu